by D J DuMont
Willow looked up at Anjali in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t you see, Willow? There was a reason Cayenne came and found you today. She wants to work with you. Before we even got to the formal dragon selection process, she decided you were the one for her. Cayenne chose you. She’s your dragon.”
Willow considered this. She remembered Cayenne’s soulful eyes, playful laughter, and dragon smiles. And for the first time since Sam had left Willow in Anjali’s office, Willow smiled.
It didn’t matter anymore that Clove wasn’t available. Cayenne was her dragon. She, Willow Ember, had a dragon partner. A spunky, spicy dragon with a mischievous side. Things at the Dragon Heart Academy were about to get a whole lot more interesting.
Chapter Seventeen
“What happened today?” Sylvie asked.
Willow nearly jumped out of her skin. “Jeez, Sylvie. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
Sylvie stepped out of the shadows in Anjali’s large office on the Birch Point campus. She’d been waiting for who knew how long at the end of the tunnel. Willow had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t noticed anyone else was in the room.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. But I’m worried about you. You were gone from class all day, and then Sam came in and told Anjali you were hanging around the dragons. He sounded pretty agitated.”
Willow sighed. Sylvie was her best friend here in Maine, and Willow knew she was only asking questions because she cared. But the last thing Willow felt like doing right now was to go over her day, again.
“It’s a long story, Sylvie.”
“I’ve got time.”
“Can’t we talk about this tomorrow?”
Sylvie sat down on the giant desk in the middle of the room. “I suppose we could. But I’m worried about you. You’re not going to get yourself kicked out of the Dragon Heart Program, are you?”
Willow laughed. “No. Whatever gave you an idea like that?”
Sylvie didn’t seem to think that was funny. “Locke and Cara have been bashing you ever since Sam showed up. Locke is saying that you were trying to get an unfair advantage by going to see the dragons before everyone else.”
Willow stopped laughing. “An unfair advantage? For what?”
“For the Golden Dragon Heart Award.”
“Oh for Pete’s sake. When is he going to get it through his thick skull that I’m not even interested in that stupid award?”
“It’s not exactly a stupid award. It’s a pretty high honor.”
Willow waved her hand dismissively. “Right. I’m sure it is. But I’m never going to win it. I mean, have you seen me trying to do magic? I can’t do a spell properly to save my life.”
Sylvie gave Willow a skeptical look. “Sam said you were doing a lot of magic spells and showing off for the dragons.”
Willow sighed. “So did he talk to Anjali or did he freaking make an announcement to the whole class?”
Sylvie smiled and shrugged. “You know Sam. He’s a big guy with a big voice. Even when he’s trying to whisper it’s hard for him to be subtle.”
“I guess. Well, if you really must talk about this tonight, then I guess I should get it over with. Yes, I was by the dragons. And yes, I was doing magic spells, and doing them much better than I’ve ever been able to do them before. I don’t know what happened. It’s like everything all of a sudden came together for me after break.”
“Well, I think it helped a lot that you had time to de-stress. You were wound up so tightly before the holidays.”
Willow rolled her eyes. “You sound like Anjali. Anyway, I had run off from class because the searches for my dad are being called off, which obviously made me upset. I ran through the woods without paying attention to where I was going and ended up near the dragon stables. Cayenne came out to see me, and then Clove.”
“They just came out to you? Weren’t you scared?”
“A little bit at first. But not for long. The dragons are actually really calm and gentle. And they wanted to watch me do magic. I can’t tell you how I knew that. I just did. So I was sitting there doing magic spells for them when Sam walked up and flipped out.”
“Because you were by the dragons?”
“Not exactly. Because Clove was out. He was my dad’s dragon, remember? Apparently, he hadn’t been out of the dragon stables at all since he got back.”
“So why did he come out now?”
“I don’t know. Anjali said it’s because he knows I’m my father’s daughter. But I think it’s more than that. I think Clove knows something. I think my father is still alive.”
“Willow,” Sylvie said gently. “He’s been in the stable that whole time. Even if your dad was alive when Clove left him, how would he know whether he’s still alive now?”
Willow’s anger flashed. “Don’t you care about my father being alive? I thought you were my friend.”
“I am your friend. That’s why I don’t want you to get your hopes up for no reason. Of course I hope your dad is alive. But you can’t keep putting your entire life on hold when you have no real evidence of anything.”
Willow bit back tears for what felt like the hundredth time that day. “I thought you were different, Sylvie, but you’re just like everyone else. You want to just shrug and give up. But I’m not giving up until I find my dad. I know he’s alive. Dragons know things we can’t. I don’t know how Clove knows, but he does. My dad’s not dead, and I’m going to find him, whether or not anyone else thinks I’m crazy.”
Willow pushed past Sylvie and started sprinting toward the door. Sylvie called after her, but Willow ignored her. When she heard the sound of Sylvie’s running feet behind her, Willow ducked behind one of the suits of armor in the hallway and whispered, “Concelo.” To her relief, the spell worked perfectly. Sylvie ran right by her, still calling out her name. Willow waited several minutes after Sylvie had disappeared from view, then ended the invisibility spell and stepped out into the hallway again.
Taking a deep breath and wiping the remnants of tears from her eyes, Willow stood tall and started walking toward the exit. She felt a bit guilty for the way she had treated Sylvie, but Sylvie should have known better than to question whether Willow’s father was alive. If Clove still believed it, that was good enough for Willow.
Willow had no idea what to do now, though. Dragon Heart leadership was too busy chasing magical terrorists to worry about finding an agent who had been lost for nearly two years. And Willow had no leads and no resources. There wasn’t much she could do except hope and pray. Well, that and be the best Dragon Heart student she could possibly be. If she could manage to somehow set herself apart as extraordinary, wouldn’t they be more likely to help her, still?
Willow laughed bitterly. Her, extraordinary? Fat chance of that. She might have managed to do some good magic in front of the dragons today, but how did she know that wasn’t a fluke? She wasn’t smart like the other three Dragon Heart trainees. Locke was confident, Sylvie was bubbly, and Cara, although timid, at least came from a long line of Dragon Hearts and could boast of a good pedigree. Willow was just the sad child of a once great Dragon Heart Agent who was quickly fading from everyone’s memory but her own.
Her head down and shoulders slumped, Willow was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t see another figure stepping out of the shadows.
“Well, well. If it isn’t the little cheater of the group.”
Startled, Willow looked up and saw Locke standing in front of her with his arms crossed. He had stepped into the hallway so that he was blocking her way, and in the dim shadows of the lamplight his tall figure looked spooky and threatening.
“Get out of my way, Locke. I didn’t cheat, and I’m not after the Golden Dragon Heart.”
“I don’t believe that for a second. Everyone is after the Golden Dragon Heart. You can keep playing the sad, fatherless child card all you want, but you’re not fooling me. Your dead father isn’t an excuse for you to go schmooze w
ith the dragons before everyone else.”
Willow’s anger flared. “Enough, Locke. My father’s not dead, and I wasn’t schmoozing with the dragons. Besides, what difference does it make whether I see the dragons one day ahead of everyone else? We all get our dragons tomorrow, and we all get the same dragon training. Saying hi to a few dragons today doesn’t give me some big advantage.”
Locke shook his head at her, and Willow noticed for the first time that, his obnoxious personality notwithstanding, he was actually rather handsome. His sandy blonde hair was cropped close to his head, and almost looked like it glowed in the dancing lamplight. His eyes were as blue as a swimming pool on a sunny summer day, although they were filled with unmistakable rage right now. Oh, who was Willow kidding? Locke’s eyes were always filled with rage. It seemed like an exhausting way to live your life.
“You know, for the child of some supposedly great Dragon Heart Agent, you really don’t get it, do you?” Locke sneered at her.
Willow let out a long, tired sigh. She was so exhausted that her bones ached. All she wanted was to go back to her dorm room and collapse into bed. Locke could think whatever he wanted about her or her father. She knew the truth in her heart.
But Locke wasn’t going to let her go without a lecture. He spread his arms out to block her, then leaned down so his face was only inches from her face.
“I guess it helps to come from a long line of Dragon Hearts, like Cara and I do. We know how things work. Since you obviously don’t, I’ll try to explain things in a way your simple little mind can understand.”
“You really don’t need to explain anything. You can have your Golden Dragon Heart Award and think whatever you want about my father. Just let me go. I’m not interested in petty fights.”
Locke laughed. “This isn’t petty. You spent hours with the dragons, building a friendship with them.”
“So?”
“So, anyone who actually understands how the Dragon Heart Program works knows that the most important indicator of success is how well you work with your dragon. And the more time you spend with your dragon, the better relationship you’ll have with that dragon.”
“Okay. Fine. I spent a couple extra minutes with a dragon. I think you’re blowing this out of proportion.”
To Willow’s shock, this comment made Locke explode. “I’m not blowing it out of proportion, you little fool! The newer Dragon Heart trainers don’t place as much emphasis on the dragon-human relationship, but anyone with ties to ancient dragon magic knows the truth! You can form a bond so close with your dragon that you practically know what each other is thinking. You move as one being. You fight as one being. You can feel your dragon, even when you’re not right there with it. That’s how you become a truly great Dragon Heart. When you learn to work so closely with your dragon that your magic and your dragon’s magic combine to be an unstoppable force.”
Willow stared at Locke for a moment, trying to process everything he’d just said. “Wait a minute. Did you just say you can feel your dragon, even when it’s not with you?”
Locke let out an exasperated sigh. “Yes, idiot. Try to pay attention.”
Willow ignored the insult, and asked another question, her heart pounding. “Would that mean that your dragon could feel you, even when you’re not there?”
Locke threw his hands up in the air. “Seriously, Willow. How dumb can you get? Yes, of course it works the other way. Your dragon can feel you, too. The newer trainers don’t seem to think that’s actually possible. But they don’t know much about ancient magic. When magic has been in your family for centuries, like with my family, then you realize that—”
“I have to go,” Willow interrupted, turning to run back toward Anjali’s office and the tunnel.
“Wait! Where are you going? I wasn’t done talking yet!”
Willow ignored him, her legs already burning from the speed at which she was running. As much as Willow disliked Locke, he may have just given her the key to finding out whether her father was, in fact, still alive.
And she wasn’t going to stop running until she checked out her theory.
Chapter Eighteen
Running through the tunnel and across the main Dragon Heart grounds hadn’t been much of a challenge, but running through the dark stretch of forest that led to the dragon stables proved nearly impossible. Even after casting a flashlight spell, Willow was forced to slow to merely a brisk walk. She stubbed her toes nearly every other step, and muttered out curses that would have made her mother ground her for an entire week. Luckily, her mother wasn’t around to hear.
No one was around, in fact, which was just as well. Although Anjali and Sam hadn’t expressly forbidden Willow from visiting the dragon stables, she got the impression that neither one of them would be pleased with her for sneaking around here in the dark. Sam, especially, would be all too eager to give her some sort of lecture on how dragons need their sleep.
But Willow had a feeling that the dragon she was coming to see would be happy to see her, even if she woke him up. Willow almost had to laugh at how nervous she’d been to meet these dragons the first time Sam brought them all out here. She was no longer afraid of these giant beasts. Although they were powerful, and could kill in a few moments’ time if they wanted to, they were actually quite gentle and playful. With dragon training officially starting tomorrow, Willow hoped that she would be getting to spend a lot more time working with these gentle giants.
But what she was doing tonight was very unofficial, and as she neared the edge of the forest, she slowed her pace even more and ended the flashlight spell on her ring. She peered into the clearing where the dragon stables sat, and tried to see whether there was any sign of Sam. Everything was quiet and dark. She listened for several minutes, but the only sound she heard was the occasional rustle of leaves in the treetops above her.
With timid steps, Willow began creeping into the clearing. The walk from the edge of the clearing to the stables felt like it took an eternity. Willow was completely exposed in the bright moonlight, and if Sam was anywhere nearby he would see her for sure. She thought about casting an invisibility spell, but decided against it for the dragons’ sakes. She wasn’t sure how well invisibility spells worked when it came to dragons. Would they still be able to smell her or hear her? Would they know she was coming, or would they be completely startled? Willow had no interest in startling a dragon, and so she kept herself visible, as nervous as that made her.
Sam must not have been around, though, because everything around Willow was quiet and still when she reached the steps that led up to the walkway alongside the dragon stables’ windows. Taking a deep breath, Willow climbed the steps two at a time. Her tired legs had become rubber by the time she reached the top, but she hardly noticed. Slowly, almost reverently, she crept toward the windows that would give her a view of the dragons below.
She almost had to laugh at the sight of all eight dragons curled up on the stable floor. They looked like a litter of giant, overgrown puppies. Willow marveled again at the fact that such beasts could be so gentle and affectionate. She had only been watching a few moments when one of the dragons lifted its head. It was the golden one, and Willow struggled to remember its name for a moment. Then, in a flash, it came to her.
“Hi, Saffron,” she said. Saffron snorted in response, and a plume of smoke went up from her nostrils. The noise got the attention of the other dragons, and they all seemed to turn at once to look at her. Despite the fact that Willow had no fear of these dragons anymore, she had to admit that it felt a bit unnerving to have eight pairs of dragon eyes suddenly fixed directly on her. She took a deep breath, and smiled at them, hoping they all knew she was here on a peaceful mission.
“Hi, everyone. I came to see Clove.”
Clove snorted then, and started to stand. But Cayenne let out a low growl and hopped to her feet in one quick movement, then bounded over to Willow. Cayenne pressed her giant nose against Willow’s face, and Willow laughed.
Cayenne whined in response and tried to snuggle closer to Willow. Willow could only laugh. “You’re a little lover, aren’t you?”
Clove had reached the window’s opening by now, and stuck his head through as well. Willow patted the top of his muzzle and smiled at him. “Hey, Clove. How are you holding up?” He snorted in response, and little plumes of icy steam rose from his nostrils. Willow took that to mean that he was doing well, although his eyes still looked sad.
“I know, buddy. I always feel a little sad, too. I have a question, though, that I’m hoping you can answer. I hope it makes sense to you, actually.”
Clove blinked at her in response, and then, to Willow’s surprise, Cayenne gave Clove a friendly little nudge. Willow’s heart ached a little bit to see the dragon that would be hers comforting the dragon that had been her father’s. The moment felt sad and sweet all at once. But Willow could not let her emotions distract her right now. She had come here to ask an important question, and she hoped she would get the answer she wanted.
“Clove, you know that the Dragon Heart Agent you worked with was my father, right?”
Clove nodded his giant dragon head in response, and Willow felt her heart racing. Clove could understand her, and he could also answer yes or no questions by a nod or shake of his head. This was going well. Willow took another deep breath, and plowed forward.
“Earlier this evening, one of the other trainees named Locke told me that when a dragon is really well-connected with his or her partner, the dragon can tell if that partner is alive. Is that true, Clove?”
Again, Clove nodded. Willow’s heart was pounding so hard now that she thought it was going to beat right out of her chest. It was time to ask the question she had wanted the answer to for the last two years. Tonight, she might actually get the answer she wanted.
